Comments:

It's not the fastest or smoothest bike out there, but definitely the most fun all-around bike I have ridden. Trek nailed the sweet spot between a 29'er hardtail and fatbike. The tires are huge, but light with insane traction (I weight 170 and run mine at 12psi). Most of the climbing around here is loose and rocky with tight switchbacks, and this bike charges through everything that had me walking on my other bikes. I feel more confident descending than on my full suspension bike, since the big tires, short wheelbase, and low bottom bracket height make rock drops and off-camber corners no problem. I took it down a little slalom section, and was surprised how it felt more like a BMX bike than a massive 29er while airing off of some jumps. Overall, this is a great bike for anyone who wants ride as much of the trail as possible and have a fun time doing it.

Comments:

I have not had that much fun since I put a RockShock on my Klein in the early 1980s. Above 50 miles, I should probably use my road bike, but it is so much fun chasing these huge tires down the road. I weigh 240 lbs and run 25 psi on pavement, tubeless. Off pavement, it won't make an old fat man like me fly up the hill, but it never loses traction, and entertains me with allowing me to play with the terrain, rather than just bust through difficult section, like on my 29er fully. Off road, I have not tried pressures below 15 psi. And getting used to the enormous traction will make me quite a bit faster in the turns, over time. Gearing is surprisingly adequate from steep climbs to hunting down some roadies. BTW: Tell your roady friends to slow down in tight corners. They don't have the traction to make the turns as fast as you do. Just had a guy crash behind me, today.